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Wednesday, July 12, 2017

Jacob returns to Canaan

Jacob returns to Canaan 1Eventually Jacob and Rachel had a son who was named Joseph. Jacob returns to Canaan 2Jacob told Laban that he wanted to return to his homeland of Canaan. Laban knew Jacob had done a great job looking after his sheep and cattle and did not want to lose him. ‘Name your wages, and I will pay them,’ he replied. Jacob returns to Canaan 3Jacob replied, ‘I will stay and work for you if you let me go through your flocks and remove all the speckled or spotted sheep and goats, plus every dark-coloured lamb. They will be my wages.’ Laban agreed.

Jacob returns to Canaan 4Jacob found that by peeling the bark of poplar, almond and plane trees and putting the peeled branches in front of the feeding troughs where the flocks drank, when they mated they bore young who were streaked, spotted or specked and therefore became his. Jacob returns to Canaan 5He made separate flocks for himself and these became larger and stronger than those that belonged to Laban. In this way Jacob became very rich and had many servants. Jacob returns to Canaan 6Laban’s sons protested that Laban’s flocks were not doing as well as Jacob’s flocks. Jacob soon noticed that Laban’s attitude towards him was not what it had been.

Jacob returns to Canaan 7Then the Lord said to Jacob, ‘Go back to the land of your fathers and I will be with you.’ Rachel and Leah agreed to go to Canaan with Jacob. They got on their camels and took their herds with them. But they did not tell Laban they were leaving. Before they left, Rachel stole her father Laban’s household gods. Jacob returns to Canaan 8Three days later Laban was told that Jacob had gone. He immediately set off in pursuit. Jacob returns to Canaan 10‘Why did you run off and deceive me?’ Laban asked. ‘You didn’t even let me kiss my grandchildren and my daughters goodbye.’

Jacob returns to Canaan 11And why did you steal my gods?’ Jacob replied that he had not said goodbye as he was afraid Laban would not let him go. Jacob did not know Rachel had stolen her father’s gods and said, ‘If you find anyone who has stolen your gods they shall die.’Jacob returns to Canaan 12Laban began searching the tents and found nothing. Rachel had hidden the gods in her camel’s saddle bag which was in her tent. She sat on the saddle bag refusing to get up as her father searched her tent. Laban did not find his gods. Jacob returns to Canaan 13Jacob became angry, ‘Have you found the stolen gods? I have worked hard for you and treated you fairly. God has seen my hardship and in the dream you had He rebuked you.’

Jacob returns to Canaan 14Laban replied, ‘All you see is mine but what can I do? Let’s make an agreement between ourselves.’ The two men gathered stones and piled them into a heap. Then they ate together. Jacob returns to Canaan 15Laban promised not to go past the heap of stones to hurt Jacob and Jacob promised not to go past the heap to hurt Laban. They took an oath in the name of God and offered a sacrifice. The next morning, Laban kissed his daughters and grandchildren goodbye and then returned home.